THE TITMOUSE. 29 



They pierce in the same way nuts and almonds. In 

 general all the titmouse tribe, though rather fierce, love 

 the company of their brethren, and keep in families. 

 When separated by accident, they call mutually to each 

 other, and are soon rejoined in society. They lay many 

 eggs ; most species making their nests in the hole of a 

 tree, but one in a round ball appended to a branch, and 

 of a size disproportioned to so small a bird. 



Sometimes the titmouse will feed on walnuts, attack- 

 ing and devouring them as they grow on the tree, and 

 while, from their not being fully ripe, the green outside 

 husk remains. Of course, it especially likes a tree, 

 which is sometimes found bearing nuts, the shells of 

 which consist of a soft texture, easily pervious to its 

 little beak. In such instances it commences its attack 

 at the soft or imperfect apex of the shell, and pecks out 

 the kernel as far as its bill can possibly reach. The 

 entire kernel has been frequently known to be com- 

 pletely scooped out by the titmouse, before the nut was 

 ripe enough to fall from the tree. On one large tree, 

 with a good crop, scarcely a walnut remained which had 

 not been assailed by these birds, and more or less eaten. 



